The Nigerian equities market extended its bullish run on April 9, 2026, as the All-Share Index climbed 0.28% to close at a historic 203,161.8 points, officially breaking above the 203,000 level for the first time. The performance was driven by strong activity in key heavyweight stocks, with GTCO and Aradel Holdings dominating the value chart.
Despite the positive close, market activity slowed compared to the previous session, with trading volume dropping sharply to 652 million shares from about 1 billion. Even so, market capitalization still improved slightly to N130.7 trillion, signaling continued investor confidence. Overall sentiment remained bullish, with the market maintaining a strong year-to-date return of 30.56%.
On the activity chart, Access Holdings led in volume with 121.7 million shares, followed by GTCO and Chams. In value terms, GTCO topped the market with N8.09 billion in trades, closely followed by Aradel Holdings at N7.5 billion and Zenith Bank at N4.8 billion. Nestle Nigeria and Access Holdings also featured among the top value contributors.
Gainers were led by Trans Nationwide Express and International Energy Insurance, both posting near 10% increases, while profit-taking dragged down stocks such as LivingTrust Insurance and RT Briscoe, which hit maximum daily losses. Performance among large-cap stocks was mixed, with Lafarge Africa posting gains, while MTN Nigeria and International Breweries closed lower. In the banking segment, the FUGAZ group remained mostly positive, with UBA, Zenith Bank, GTCO, and First Holdco all recording gains, while Access Holdings ended flat.
Overall, the session highlighted continued strength in Nigerian banking and select industrial stocks, even as trading volume cooled. The milestone close above 203,000 points reinforces the market’s upward trajectory, with large-cap financial stocks continuing to play a central role in driving index performance.
source: nairametrics